Theme:
'BOLD'

To be bold is to show a willingness to take risks. A quick google search of the word bold will yield synonyms such as dauntless, adventurous, and unafraid. This year’s TEDx event will showcase how we as individuals can seek our own path, develop a unique vision, and alter the course of society if we make that first leap.

This year Lingnan University’s TEDx will be setting the stage for individuals who embody what it means to be bold. Speakers from different walks of life will demonstrate how boldness transcends the individual and enters daily life. Speakers will retell their personal stories that led them down a path to boldness. As the saying goes, “Be bold and stand out!”

Speakers

Lingnan University Graduate Student

Born in Nigeria, Akinyemi made a bold move to travel halfway across the world alone as a teenager. Since arriving Hong Kong, Akinyemi graduated from Lingnan University with a first class honours degree in Business Administration.
He has equally been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships like the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Scholarship.
Akin is the Coordinator of Peer Learning Facilitation in Lingnan University, an initiative designed to collaborate with students in developing their academic abilities. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour.
Akinyemi is an ambassador of The Little Church World, a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management and equally a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.
In his spare time, he enjoys fencing and playing chess.

The Brilliant Balloon Man International Entertainer and Author

Dubbed ‘the funniest balloon man in the world,’ Andrew Smith has taken balloon art and twisted it into a wildly successful professional career. He has performed internationally at events,including film premiere parties for Disney Pixar, Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures. Andrew entertains for celebrity and royalty, working private events from birthdays and family events to trade shows and corporate dinners.
“It’s not about the balloons…it is about the entertainment,” Andrew says. “The balloons are but a tool to enthral the audience.”
Andrew has been enthralling audiences worldwide for the last 20 years after leaving a successful career in sales and marketing to follow his passion for magic.“Making people smile and laugh is the best job in the world.”
Originally from the UK, Andrew currently lives in Hong Kong with his wife of 25 years and his four children. On top of his busy performance schedule, he has found time to write several books and obtain a private pilot’s licen

Female Entrepreneurship

Anna has worked for the world’s top advertising, public relations agencies. She had almost the perfect career, but, her gut kept telling her to start my own business venture. Indeed, life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. Just dream it and do it. Her entrepreneurial journey has been tough. Despite the growing number of female executives and business owners around the world, women very often lack the support and resources. That’s why she helped create Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide; a community with different cultures, nationalities and backgrounds sharing the same entrepreneurial spirit.

Lifestyle/Fashion Blogger

Bertha Chan is a plus size blogger and a body-diversity activist from Hong Kong.
Born and raised in the metropolitan city, she struggles at a place where certain beauty standard on women means the key to success; lost and often felt not accepted, she found herself being hospitalise from anorexia and spent the next decade fighting eating disorders and body image issues.
Bertha founded Curves in Asia in 2015, aiming to raise awareness for women in Asia to disregard the influence of the society's beauty standards

Fashion Designer

Fanyu was born and raised in Hong Kong. In 2014, he graduated from BA degree programme of Social Work in the City University of Hong Kong. Same year, Fanyu entered The Hong Kong Polytechnic University to begin his fashion studies and career.
Fanyu was the finalist of 2015 Young Designers' Contest in Contemporary Day-wear Group, and the winner of Best Accessories Design Award with his menswear collection - YONよん. After competition, Fanyu set-up his own fashion brand TSANGFANYU to develop menswear ready-to-wear series and accessories goods.
The Best Accessories Design Award sponsor company - i.t. apparels Limited is going to produce his shoes design from YON's collection under their local fashion label - 5cm, and launch TSANGFANYU in stores as a special limited edition sneaker project in 2015 summer season.

Lingnan University Undergraduate Student

Fengxin (Stephanie) is a final year student from the Translation Department of Lingnan University. She is originally from Wuhan and has been living in Hong Kong since the year of 2012. During her study at Lingnan University she participated with enthusiasm in various leadership related activities and was elected as the president of AIESEC in Lingnan. She is now working as Teaching Assistant of Service-Learning related courses at the Office of Service–Learning of Lingnan University.

Culinary Visionary/Entrepreneur

Lori Granito is the founder of Kitchen Sync, Hong Kong’s first culinary incubator for start up food entrepreneurs. She is also the owner of Go Gourmet Catering and the award winning Magnolia private kitchen. She is the co-founder of Little Burro, a growing chain of San Francisco Mission style burrito restaurants. Lori was responsible for the development and marketing of her company’s concepts, including implementing the marketing plans, developing all dishes, organizing all PR, as well as the recruitment and training of staff. The ongoing success of her companies is directly attributable to her vision, energy and skills.

Professor & Head of Science Unit - Lingnan University

Mark arrived in Hong Kong last August after serving 24 years as a professor at Texas Tech University in the USA. He was trained as an ecologist and his current scholarly interests focus on environmental education. Previously, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopaedia of Earth (www.eoearth.org), an online, peer-reviewed source of information about the environment. He is interested in making science accessible and relevant both in, and out of, the classroom and enjoys scuba diving and travelling.

Branding Guru & Communications Expert

TSW was founded by Paula Marie Kilgarriff. She is a fashion Marketing & Branding Consultant and University Lecturer from Ireland living in mainland China. Paula has 15 years international experience in fashion and lifestyle industries. She studied in France with an MBA in Luxury Marketing & Branding and has worked for both national and international fashion brands and lectured at many top universities in China & Europe.
TSW offer a variety of services that help fashion and lifestyle people and their companies in their branding and marketing communication and provide training for these companies so they can do it on their own. We provide stylish and discreet educational interactive events, campaigns and training to bring brands, their products and future customers together. China is full of undefined customers, buyer and production companies; we attract those customers through style, education and professionalism.

Artist

Peter is a Canadian born artist now living and working in Hong Kong. He is currently embarked on a journey of self discovery, an exploration of his ancestral heritage and culture through a modern eye, trying to express his connection with the mystical world, that which can not be seen, but only felt.

Musician

Pierre’s musical endeavour is fast-approaching five complete decades, having started in 1965 when he played first clarinet for his Montreal school band. Early steps on the journey included private tuition with various teachers and studied jazz performance at McGill University with Janis Steprans and Luc Beaugrand.
As the 21st century dawned, Pierre branched out into new areas, culminating with his 2007 production ‘Storias’, a modern acid-jazz oriented album. Pierre’s band of the same name became a regular feature on the many jazz venues in Montreal, and lead to invitations for him to arrange/compose for various artists. Pierre has worked with choirs, singers, theatres, dance companies and instrumentalists, exploring fresh approaches to arranging and expanding his mastery of music software.
Pierre is now established in Hong Kong and has already founded the HK Jazz Network, seeking to actively develop the city’s music and arts reputation.

Contemporary Artist/Designer

Graduated from Visual Communication (PolyU HKCC) and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Visual Arts (Hong Kong Baptist University), Mr. CHAN Po Fung recently works as an Individual Artist in Hong Kong, concurrently the Creative Director of his own design brand Playback Concept. He specializes in Contemporary Jewelry and Contemporary Art. He attempts to explore the blending of craftsmanship with historical context, community and culture.

Creative Entrepreneur

Venezuelan born, Panamanian by heart. Coffee and dancing lover. Holds a Major on Mass Media Communication and a specialization on Marketing for Fashion Brands. Her 5 years of experience on TV production, magazines and media related to the fashion and style industry have transformed her vision of lifestyle into an inner expression of individual preferences, achievements and pursuit of happiness. Now established in Shenzhen this Latina looks to educate and inspire about the influence of social media in our everyday lives and the importance of each one us as a communication tool on this century full of technology.

Designer

Sharon’s intrigue with jewelry began when she was very little her family used to run a fine jewelry shop and she remembers admiring all her mom’s beautiful pieces. Now years later as she searched for a simple gold body chain that looked chic, fine and very close to the skin (with a feel of being a second skin), she felt a surge of disappointment and frustration - not being able to find anything she liked she decided to develop Beyond Jewelry.